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Not easy being a car thief these days

Technology takes toll as larcenies plummet across state, region

By Rick Sobey, Sun Staff

Updated:
03/31/2013 06:36:34 AM EDT

On a visit to the Burlington Mall in the 1990s, you could see a car theft while going in to shop and another when you walked out.

"Burlington used to be very, very prolific for car thefts 15, 20 years ago," said Jim Tigges, a Burlington patrolman and crime analyst. "Several times a day we could get reports of stolen cars at the mall, and then we'd get reports of Hondas ending up in Lawrence. But that's improved dramatically over the years."

And the trend spreads out from Burlington. Car thefts have plummeted in Greater Lowell and across the state.

In the 1970s, Massachusetts ranked tops in the nation for car thefts, with one of every 35 cars reported stolen. But that has changed, with state car thefts dropping 88 percent over the last four decades. By 2011, Massachusetts had moved to 21st in the country.

"With improved technology and anti-theft devices, we haven't seen nearly as many," Tigges said. "With LoJack and OnStar, thieves won't take those cars because they can be tracked. And surveillance cameras are everywhere now."

The drop in car thefts is consistent throughout the area.

In the 1980s, the Chelmsford Police Department recorded more than 100 car thefts each year, according to Jennifer Bellissimo, the department's crime-prevention officer. Car thefts have declined significantly over the last few years, she said, with an average of 16 thefts annually since 2010.

In 2000, there were 52 car thefts in Billerica but the amount has dropped from there, falling to a low of 18 thefts in 2009, according to Billerica Police Lt.

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Greg Katz. From 2010 to 2012, the Billerica department has seen an average of 25 car thefts per year, less than half of the 2000 total.

"We've done a pretty good job getting the word out through the media and social media to get your cars locked, make sure your keys aren't in the car and to get valuables out of sight," said Billerica Police Lt. Roy Frost. "Anti-theft devices have come a long way and helped, but we've also been very pro-active and will continue to be pro-active."

Lowell had a 39 percent decline in car thefts from 2010 to 2011, according to the Police Department's 2011 annual report. There were 252 thefts in 2011, down from 414 in 2010.

Tigges didn't have car-theft statistics from the 1990s in Burlington, but he said it was common to see two to three car thefts a day. Burlington's high in car thefts in the past eight years was 31 in 2008, but that dropped to 14 in 2009. In the last four years, Burlington has averaged 13 thefts per year.

The town is on pace for 12 in 2013, with three reports of car thefts by the end of March.

"With all the protective casing and the protection around the wires and switches, that has definitely prevented a lot of thefts," Tigges said. "Years ago, if someone locked their keys in the car, we could pop open a car in seconds ourselves, and we're the good guys. Thieves could do it even faster than us, but you can't do a Slim Jim like that anymore."

LoJack Stolen Vehicle Recovery Solution, which is based in Canton, had a 94 percent recovery rate for stolen cars, trucks and SUVs in 2012, according to Calvin Deyermond, LoJack's law-enforcement liaison in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

If a car goes missing, one call to the police will activate the LoJack unit. Police then pick up the car's signal and track down the car within 24 hours, with more than half recovered in six hours or less, Deyermond said.

"We've been so successful because of that unique relationship with law enforcement," he said. "In this market area, especially, we have strong relationships with car dealerships and that helps the product's success."

As technology has played a role in cutting car thefts, Tigges noticed how additional police presence can bring down carjackings.

That year, several officers were assigned to the Burlington Mall for its extensive renovation project, and officers were also on detail assignments at the Wayside Commons mall construction project. The Wayside area used to be one of the biggest spots for car thefts, off Cambridge Street by Papa Razzi, Tigges said.

"(Police details) seemed to discourage thieves from heading there anymore," he said. "It's kind of tough to steal a car in front of a police officer."

Since those police details, the car-theft numbers in Burlington haven't returned to the 2008 level, remaining below 15 each year.

While parts of Greater Lowell have seen a drop in stolen vehicles, the difference is negligible in some towns because car thefts have never been a problem there.

"There's been only a handful of vehicle thefts in my time here, with most relating to ongoing crimes," said Boxboro Police Chief Warren Ryder, who has been at the department for 15 years. "Grand-theft auto has never really played a part here.

"But vehicle technology has played an important role in deterring thieves around the area," Ryder added. "From time to time, we get LoJack hits, we get a trace and then can track it down."

In addition to car thefts going down, car stereos and global positioning systems are not being stolen at the same clip, according to area police.

"The stereos are built into the dash now so it's a lot harder, and we don't see as many GPS thefts anymore," Tigges said. "GPS's were very popular a few years ago when they would smash a window and grab them. They used to cost a few hundred dollars, but now the price went down and everyone uses them on their phone."

In Lowell's 2011 annual report, car-item thefts went down 23 percent, from 1,095 in 2010 to 849 in 2011.

While fewer car thefts means fewer headaches for residents, it's also good news for wallets.

"Comprehensive insurance rates are generally less expensive for a variety of reasons. Fewer car thefts and more sophisticated alarms have to do with that," said Peter Clark, senior account executive at Lowell-based Fred C. Church Insurance. "Twenty years ago, it was a big deal to have an alarm system, but now, almost every car has one coming off the lot."

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